Thursday, August 23, 2012

"Your job is school." Student reply "I don't get paid." Yes they do....

I have one rule in my classroom.  Our classroom is our workplace.  A workplace itself has a large set of inherit rules that make my classroom run.  I then mention that teaching is obviously my job and their job is learning,  And every year I can count on one student saying "No it is not mmmyyyy job, I don't get paid."  And I reply "Yes, you do."

It leads to a discussion that I allow to happen each day for a few minutes for several class periods and ends with the students receiving their first open ended project.  (I let the discussions occur until nothing new is said).

The assignment is to research what a High School diploma is worth over the student's lifetime.  Then calculate the "pay per hour" to earn that degree.  It is done as an essay, including citing and supporting calculations.

For round numbers there is a 300K difference in lifetime earnings between a HS grad and an non-HS grad.  Then assume 40 hour per week with homework, 38 week per year (rough) and 4 years to graduate.  And you end up with $300,000/(40 hr/wk*38 wk/yr*4yr) = $49/hr.   


And while the students joke about it, I believe it really helps for the students to see the value in HS.

It is just deferred compensation......   

No comments:

Post a Comment